Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations - SCVO. Supporting the Growth of Community Action in Sandwell.

Only a few days remain for voluntary and community sector organisations to respond to the latest tender opportunity from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund.  Bids are being invited to deliver skills, training and mentoring to support out-of-work clients into employment.  The deadline is 11th May.

This latest opportunity comes at the start of the second year of the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and continues in its purpose to tackle worklessness in the Sandwell Area and, in so doing, work towards the achievement of Local Area Agreement targets. 

Economic Regeneration and Skills (Sandwell MBC), which is commissioning the work, is focusing on 3 key areas: Skills, Employment and Enterprise. Critically the three areas are linked to provide an end-to-end client journey, from obtaining or enhancing skills to finding sustainable employment, linking with existing employers within the area to ensure that those skills are relevant to the available vacancies.

To apply, organisations or lead partners must be either:

1.    A Voluntary Sector organisation with appropriate quality assurance kite mark, which complies, with the Common Inspection Framework and a track record in delivering similar programmes.

2.    An approved LSC provider

3.    A Local Authority with a track record of providing a similar programme.

Sub-contractors must be checked for quality assurance standards. Providers that do not have the appropriate quality standards maybe supported to achieve a Quality Standard through the Neighbourhood Learning In Deprived Communities Fund.

The funding period is over 2 years; however, a review will take place at 12 months. Providers will be paid on outputs only, therefore fees such as room hire, management and administration costs will have to be included in the bid.

Open drop in sessions have been arranged to support providers with any queries they may have regarding completing the application form or programme outputs. The next session will be held at Smethwick Youth & Community Centre, 10am – 12pm, 6th May 2009, Telephone: 0121 565 8870.

For copies of the application process and forms, contact the Project Support Officer: Darshana Dookhy, Tel: 0121 569 3311 Email: darshana_dookhy@sandwell.gov.uk. Economic Regeneration & Skills Unit (Strategy & Partnership) Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 3DE. Tel: 0845 3521254